Afghan stones

[kfergie]

Don't groan, it's not that bad - I don't think. I just recently joined and have been happy lurking and looking at all of the pretty things you guys have made. I'm seriously jealous of some of it. I am stationed in Bahrain right now but have been stationed in and around Afghanistan for most of the last four years. I've made some good buys, some not so good buys, and some bad ones and wanted to get your opinions on my purchases so far.

I will fess up to having purchased about 30 carats (six stones) of African glass filled ruby. I had a strong suspicion they weren't real when I paid about $3/ct for them. It was an inexpensive lesson learned -I don't know enough to buy rubies.

Here is a 5 ct tanz I bought for $800 in 2011 and had it appraised by Jim Krol (Birmingham, MI) where he valued it at $3600. The next stone is a 14.77ct tanz I paid $3600 for and Jim appraised for $8500 and finally, a 9.9ct watermelon tourmaline I paid a whopping $180 for (yup, $18/ct) in Jalalabad that Jim appraised for $1800 in 2011. Since then, the jewelers I work with in Bagram and Kandahar have tried to buy the watermelon tourmaline back from me for $250/ct.





Any marks you see on the stones are dust, there isn't a mark on any of them. I recently had the larger tanz set as a pendant but don't like it so I'm going to have it reset into a new one (the fourth pic) and I'm not crazy about the watermelon tourmaline setting so I'll probably have it reset in the states by someone who isn't a "local craftsman". No offense toward them, I just think it deserves a more refined setting. I also think it may be worth the money to have the tourmaline recut into a scissor cut to give it more sparkli-ness.

I honestly don't know how to tell whether any of them have windows or other detractions, Jim said they were good, not great cuts and nice stones for what I paid. I look forward to your comments and will probably stay up late refreshing this message.

 

[kfergie]

Re: Afghan stones - 14.77ct tanz

Here is the bigger one that will be reset as a pendant I found in the Tiffany blue book. I can't afford the paraiba they used so I'm using apatite and I can't afford all of those diamonds so I'm going with white sapphire. I know it won't look AS good but I'm pretty sure I'll still love it.

 

[kfergie]

Re: Afghan stones - watermelon tourmaline

Last one, I promise. I love this stone and it took me three years to decide to set it this way. Now I'm not certain I like it. I appreciate your ideas if you have any!

 

[endless_summer]

I like the watermelon tourmaline the best - such pretty colors! Honestly, I wouldn't even think about recutting it - it doesn't look like it windows (e.g., when you look down at the stone, you can't see through it to your hand or the bottom of your setting), and it's a classic, elegant cut. As compared to other stones, tourmalines just won't sparkle like say, a garnet (I *think* because they have a lower refractive index). So, if you do move forward with a recut, please be sure that your expectations are in line with what you can achieve.

With the size of the stone, if I were going to reset it, I would put it in the very, very simplest setting that I could - it's so large and has such pretty colors, that it just don't need anymore than that.

Great finds and good luck with your projects going forward!